Defenders welcomes prudent offshore drilling decision

WASHINGTON (05/18/2011) -

The Senate today struck down a bill proposed by Senator McConnell (S. 953) in a decisive vote of 57-42. The following is a statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark, executive vice president of Defenders of Wildlife:

“The defeat of Sen. McConnell’s misguided offshore drilling bill is a refreshing show of prudence and rationality from Capitol Hill. In the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, passing a bill that recklessly expands oil drilling, fast-tracks oil permits and undermines environmental review and legal oversight of the oil industry would have added insult to injury. It is encouraging to see Senate champions stand up to the Big Oil lobby machine and vote instead for the safety of American people and wildlife.”   

###
Links:

See how Defenders is working to stop reckless and dangerous drilling off of America's coasts

Contact(s):

Caitlin Leutwiler, (202) 772-3226; cleutwiler@defenders.org

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.

  

News

Image
NARW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Legal Intervention Aims to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Ship Strikes

Conservation groups today filed a motion to intervene to help fight a lawsuit aimed at overturning a seasonal speed rule protecting North Atlantic right whales from deadly vessel strikes. The groups want to defend the rule against a lawsuit brought by a New York vessel owner fined for violating seasonal speed limits. The suit alleges that NOAA Fisheries lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule.
Image
greater sage grouse
Washington, D.C.

Final Rescission of Public Lands Rule Reverses Modern Land Management, Threatens Wildlife Habitat

The Bureau of Land Management today announced a decision to roll back the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule. The policy modernized how BLM manages our national public lands and represented the critical incorporation of ecological resilience into management alongside traditional resource extraction. The rule required science-based decision-making, conservation considerations within multiple land uses and a focus on sustaining public lands for the long-term benefit of wildlife and the American people.